Commotion
by J.S. Mews
Summary: Nasuada thinks about her last meeting with Murtagh with regret. The third oneshot in my MurtaghNasuada fics.


Nasuada rushed through the hallways to Murtagh's room to deliver the message. She was filled with joy knowing that he would finally be free from his chamber of books. In the time that he was here, the two of them had gotten to know each other enough to be more than mere acquaintances. Her father even said that he was having a good affect on her. After her second visit, she had read the poems of Dóndar, tenth dwarf king, since Murtagh had seemed so interested in them.

Finally, she reached his door. The guard nodded and let her into the room, where Murtagh sat reading another book. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Welcome back, my lady Nasuada," Murtagh said, smiling and standing once more. He pulled out the second chair for Nasuada to sit in, but she pushed it away.

"There is no time for small talk, Murtagh. The Urgals are approaching," Nasuada said as she grabbed his hand and started to take him out of his room. His hand seemed unnaturally warm and made her shiver. Murtagh looked into her eyes, looking slightly confused.

"Am I to battle, lady Nasuada? Do the Varden trust me not to turn around and slaughter Eragon? Or is this a way to get rid of another unwanted prisoner?" Nasuada frowned.

"Do you feel that you can battle? Do you truly believe in the cause of the Varden? My father would not send you out there unless he had some trust in you. He knows that I visit you often." Nasuada waited for a response from the silent Murtagh. She had hoped that maybe there was a chance for him to be redeemed. She cared about him dearly. More than anything, she had hoped that they talk and walk together without fear of discrimination or threats.

"It is the Varden who is not ready for me," Murtagh finally said, "I am the son of Morzan, and they have not forgotten that too soon. Even if I were to battle, I would never gain their trust. At one point, they had all trusted Morzan. What did they get in return? Pain and misery was all they received. The fury of Zar'roc was not misnamed in those times." Nasuada sighed.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Murtagh? You are his son, not Morzan himself," Nasuada said. "I trust you, and the Varden would not dare to go against the word Aijhad's daughter." Murtagh looked up once more into her eyes, and Nasuada could not help but smile. There was something in those eyes…she just didn't understand.

"You trust me, my lady?" he asked.

"Of course," Nasuada replied, surprised that he would doubt her word, "You have not hurt me or Eragon at all. You have been nothing but kind to me and you saved Eragon's life. It is not like you would give in to Galbatorix if he took you. You would keep us safe. I do trust you. Do you trust me enough to go out to battle?" Nasuada put one hand on the door and began to open it.

"I trust you, lady Nasuada. I trust you with all my heart," Murtagh stepped forward and went down on one knee. Taking her hand, he kissed it. Nasuada felt bubbly and happy at the feeling of his lips on her hand. It was such a feeling like she had never felt before.

"I am sorry for doubting your word at all. I would be more than honored to fight for the Varden. If there was any reason to fight at all, it would be for you." She smiled and blushed. Suddenly, she felt a longing to touch him and feel his lips once more. The temptation was strong, yet she had to resist. It would not be ladylike to interact so intimately with a prisoner, no matter how much of a friend he was. She led him to the armory as she tried to get rid of this inducement from her mind and return to her usual state of friendship.

"Good luck, Murtagh," Nasuada said as she left him at the door, "I will see you after the battle." She looked at his face once more and was filled with a sudden sadness. Before entering, he turned around.

"I love you," Murtagh said, looking into her eyes. Nasuada was confused. What did this mean for her? Quickly, she gave him a hug and walked away.

If she had only known then, maybe she would not be filled with all of this regret. It was love she had felt for the first and likely last time. Another tear fell from her eye as she realized what she had lost. As she stepped out of the tent, Eragon came by.

"Did you have a nice sleep, my lady?" Nasuada looked at him and forced a smile on her lips.

"It was a night filled with dreams and regrets," she said as she walked away from him, lost in her dreams that would never come true.

Author's Note: I couldn't help but use a LOTR movie-verse line. It fit so perfectly into the story I was writing. I hope you enjoyed this Murtagh and Nasuada story! Thanks to all of you who reviewed my other two stories, especially **Nasuada** and **alsdssq** for reviewing both Devotion and Emotion, my other Murtagh/Nasuada one-shots. If you enjoyed this, then read those two!


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